


we gotta keep on running till we see the sun

by emms14



Category: Inception (2010), This Means War (2012)
Genre: Community: inception_kink, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-20
Updated: 2012-02-24
Packaged: 2017-10-31 11:38:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/343625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emms14/pseuds/emms14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a young man in a waistcoat waving a file in Collins' face and when he turns around, Tuck has to stop himself from admiring the man's ass.</p><p>Inception and This Means War crossover</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt on inception_kink. For anyone who hasn’t seen This Means War, a quick youtube clip of the trailer should give you all the background you need or you can check out the Wikipedia page here. I don’t even know what I’m thinking right now, all I know is that this needs to be written and since no one else is stepping up to the plate…

Two weeks after the fiasco with FDR, Lauren and Heinrich, Collins calls a meeting in the conference room. Meetings in the conference room are serious.

 

Tuck and FDR share a suspicious look across the space between their desks before following Collins to the conference room. Things are good between them now that everything with Lauren has been figured out. Tuck’s still feels a little awkward when he sees them together, but FDR is his best friend and it isn’t his fault that Lauren chose him.

 

The conference room is full of familiar faces, except for one and Tuck has no idea what’s going on but from the numerous higher ups and stern faces, something is going on.

 

There’s a young man in a waistcoat waving a file in Collins’ face and when he turns around, Tuck has to stop himself from admiring the man’s ass.

 

Tuck has always been a bit indiscriminate when it comes to his sexuality and FDR has always mocked him for it. _That’s your problem Tuck, you fall in love with every attractive person you see_.

 

Tuck thinks it’s true to an extent, but he can’t help if he’s a little on the sensitive side.

 

The meeting is long and fairly boring but by the end of it, Tuck knows some very important things. There’s a very bad member of the Russian mob entering the country soon, the man in the waistcoat is an expert on this particular hit man, and he’s therefore running point on this op.

 

FDR and Tuck aren’t used to having someone else calling the shots and after the meeting, they speak in hushed tones at FDR’s desk.

 

“What do you think about this bloke on loan from…where the bloody hell is from again anyway?” Even if this man has the nicest ass in the world, Tuck isn’t a fan of anyone who thinks they’re going to tell him and FDR how to do their jobs.

 

“No idea. I was too busy hoping we’ll get to use the grappling hook on this one.”

 

Tucks laughs a little at that, “Are you even capable of completing a mission without making a scene?”

 

“I should certainly hope so.” The voice is unfamiliar, and when they look up, it’s to find the man from the meeting in the waistcoat.

 

He greets them both with handshakes and introduces himself as Arthur, no surname. He calls Tuck ‘Eames’ and FDR ‘Foster’ and neither of them bother to correct him. Tuck is used to answering to Eames, only FDR and Nana ever call him by his first name.

 

Arthur looks so young, even with his slicked back hair and fitted trousers, but as soon as he starts in with intell, it’s clear that he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

 

\---

 

The first time Arthur orders Tuck around, Tuck feels blindsided. He doesn’t know if he should feel insulted because he’s taking orders, or if he should drop to his knees and beg to suck cock because Arthur is the one barking the orders.

 

It only takes FDR three days to figure it out. They’re having dinner in his apartment and there’s take out containers all around them, littering the floor.

 

“So you and Arthur huh?” FDR looks particularly smug, and Tuck wonders if there’s anything they don’t know about each other.

 

“Arthur and I what?” Tuck fiddles with his chopsticks, hoping this conversation won’t be as bizarre as he’s sure it will be.

 

“Oh come on Tuck, you think everyone with eyes can’t see you two drooling over each other?” FDR just looks so damn smug and it makes Tuck want to punch him. So he does.

 

“What the fuck man?”

 

“Look, can you just be serious for a moment, Franklin? Just a moment, please?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. Me serious? No problem.” FDR looks intently at Tuck and Tuck knows it’s a complete crock of shit.

 

“Seriously.” Tuck looks at FDR with a straight face and he can’t help but wonder how anyone ever thought this man was mature enough to handle a weapon.

 

“Look, I just don’t think I can do this mate. I mean after what happened with Lauren and Katie…I have a son Franklin. I can’t be pulling shit like this. I just want…”

 

FDR at least has the sensitivity to look a little apologetic, “About Lauren—“

 

Tuck cuts him off, “God darling, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t blame you. I just meant that I can’t keeping doing nonsense like that. I need to start doing what’s best for Joe.”

 

“Maybe what’s best for Joe is also what’s best for you…”

 

Tuck laughs, “That’s probably the deepest thought you’ve ever had. I’m honored you chose to share it with me.”

 

Tuck fakes a dramatically emotional face with a hand on FDR’s arm and then they’re laughing and back to themselves.

 

“Move the bloody hell over Franklin, I can’t even see the telly!”

 

“The telly? Where do you even come from?”

 

\---

 

Arthur has policy about workplace relationships. He doesn’t do them. Ever.

 

So when he meets Tuck Eames, with his dark tattoos and ridiculous lips, he tries to distance himself as much as possible. He calls the man by his last name. He doesn’t get cozy and go for drinks with the rest of the team after the mission is completed.

 

He just crosses his fingers and is immensely thankful that now that the job is over, he can go back home. He won’t have to avoid Eames in the office or pretend that he doesn’t get hard when he watches the other man break bones with his bare hands.

 

When Collins tell him that he isn’t going home quite so soon, life gets a little bit more complicated. She throws around phrases like “new taskforce” and “special position” but Arthur is too busy trying to figure out how the hell this is going to work to bother listening.

 

He moves out of his hotel room that night and into the Los Angeles apartment he almost forgot he had. It’s not that he would rather live in a hotel, but he had been hoping he’d only be in the city for a week or two. Now it’s looking more like a month or two.

 

So Arthur moves all his suits into his apartment, walks to a deli and tries to figure out how he’s going to avoid Eames for however long he’s here.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Joe and Arthur meet is decidedly not a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was supposed to be two part long has now turned into what will be three parts long. *shakes head* I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It’s not like I have hours of free time in which to write…

The first time Joe and Arthur meet is decidedly not a good day. For anyone. Except maybe Joe.

 

Arthur has been in meetings all day with bosses and the boss’s bosses and so on and so forth. It’s getting a little ridiculous at this point. FDR and Eames have been grounded again after managing to get their hands on an actual cruise ship and then promptly sinking it. They’ve been in the office all week so Arthur has tried to come into the office as few times as possible.  These meetings haven’t exactly helped his cause.

 

Arthur steps out of the elevator with every intention of getting dinner at the nearest place he can find and then getting drunk on his couch until he passes out.

 

Instead he gets tackled. By a small flying blonde object.

 

“What the _hell_?”

 

After a second he realizes that the flying object was a small child. A shy little boy at that. And then Eames comes running up and scoops the boy up.

 

“Joe, you really gotta be careful. If you keep running around like that you’re gonna take someone down.” The boy laughs a little at this and Eames puts him back down.

 

Joe. _Joe is Eames’ kid._

 

Sure Arthur had known that Eames has a kid. He knows Eames’ personnel file by heart but it’s whole different thing to see it in person. To see Eames, with his muscles and his tattoos and that mouth. To see _that_ Eames with his son. With this little blonde boy.

 

_Does not compute._

 

Joe looks up at Arthur with a small smile, “Do you know karate too?”

 

Arthur is a little too confused to answer but luckily, Eames jumps in quickly and suggests that Joe help FDR turn his paperwork into paper airplanes. Joe goes eagerly.

 

Eames looks a little bashful and Arthur thinks it’s gorgeous.

 

“Sorry about Joe, mate. Katie had an emergency meeting at work so she couldn’t pick him up. I didn’t really have many options.”

 

Arthur waves his hand and mumbles nonsensically. There’s a slightly awkward silence for a few moments before Arthur remembers how to form coherent thoughts.

 

“How old is he?”

 

“He just turned seven.” Eames smiles, and it’s clear that he really loves his kid.

 

This is not helping Arthur distance himself. At all.

 

\---

 

Arthur confuses the hell out of Tuck.

 

Arthur is gorgeous, and smart and every now and then, it seems like he can actually tolerate Tuck as a human being. It’s not that he’s not a nice bloke, it’s just that, well, ‘stand-offish’ doesn’t even begin to describe him.

 

But every now and then, he’ll do these things that just seem so different from everything else. He’ll make eye contact with Tuck, or he’ll drastically invade his personal space. Not that Tuck is complaining. Arthur can invade his personal space any day as far as Tuck is concerned. But then Arthur will go back to being all business.

 

It makes Tuck wonder if Arthur even understands the meaning of relaxing.

 

\---

 

The first time Tuck sees Arthur outside of the office, it’s when FDR insists that they all go to dinner to celebrate a recent success. FDR claps a hand down on Arthur’s shoulder and he doesn’t have a chance of escape.

 

They go out with the team and there’s about twelve of them total. They squeeze into a booth and when Arthur ends up with his thigh flush against Tuck’s, Tuck really can’t complain.

 

All in all, the nights ends up a success. When all the men have had a couple beers and even more wings in them, everyone starts to loosen up a bit.

 

There’s obnoxious laughing and pissing contests over guns, and Tuck can’t believe that they’ve never done this before.

 

Apparently, Arthur can socialize better than anyone could’ve expected. For all of his mysteriousness and evasion, he’s actually pretty normal. As CIA point men go anyway. He tells everyone small stories about his past and when he says that he thinks Tuck’s accent is _absolutely ridiculous_ , he receives lots of loud agreements.

 

Now Tuck understand why FDR says he falls in love with every beautiful person he meets. When he finds out that Arthur was in the Air Force, is originally from South Dakota and is older than he looks, things get a little more complicated. Arthur flirts a little with everyone at the table and it’s like he suddenly went from being a gorgeous two-dimensional painting to an actual person. It’s not good.

 

Tuck’s learning about Arthur. And it’s a problem. Now that Tuck knows things about Arthur, he wants to know more. He wants to know what Arthur would look like pressed up against his shower wall, or if he can make waffles the way Joe likes. He wants Arthur to know what Arthur would look like naked, first thing in the morning and he wants to know the inside of Arthur’s apartment like the back of his hand.

 

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

 

Instead, Tuck settles for calling Arthur ‘darling’ and watches as the younger man looks at him like he’s genuinely insane.

 

The group of men all leave around the same time, and Tuck ends up walking out with Arthur.

 

“What are doing tomorrow, Arthur darling?”

 

“Arthur darling? Really now? Just because you’re English doesn’t mean you can be absurd.”

 

Tuck smiles and asks again, “What are you doing tomorrow?”

 

“What the hell? What do you mean what am I doing tomorrow? It’s Tuesday, I’m going to work.” Arthur looks confused and Eames just wants to drool. Confused is a good look on Arthur. It’s also a rare look.

 

“What are you doing after work?”

 

“Working.” Tuck laughs and while he isn’t usually one to push, things are a little different with another guy. He just fixes Arthur with a look that says he doesn’t quite believe Arthur.

 

“Change of plans, darling.”


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their first date goes well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was a little nervous I wouldn’t have time to write this today but then I ended up sleeping through my first class and all of a sudden I have plenty of time!

Their first date goes well. There’s conversation and laughter and Arthur would find himself hard pressed to find a moment that didn’t’ feel _right._ Surprisingly well actually and Arthur decides that if he’s going to break his own most basic rule, he might as well go all out.

 

“What’s your first name?”

 

“You’re going out with some bloke whose first name you don’t even know? I’m shocked.” Arthur smiles at that, “but really darling, you expect me to believe that you haven’t read my file. You already know my name.”

 

“Tell me anyway.”

 

“It’s Tuck.” Tuck smiles and it’s absolutely beautiful, crooked teeth and all.

 

Arthur’s pretty sure that that’s exactly where any hope of keeping a distance was lost. Obliterated in fact.

 

So the date goes well and Arthur can’t help but be continuously amazed at all the different sides Tuck seems to have. He’s seen Tuck in the field where he was quick and strong. He’s seen Tuck with Joe where he was gentle and happy. Now he’s seeing Tuck be charming and kind. Genuine even.

 

And when they kiss, Arthur wants to chain Tuck to his bed to prevent him from ever leaving. The kiss is slow and delicious and Arthur can feel the slight stubble on Tuck’s chin. It’s fantastic.

 

\---

 

Three days later, Arthur freaks out. It’s one thing to get caught up in the moment with Tuck and his ridiculous level of gorgeousness, but it’s a whole different thing to break his own rule when he’s had a few days to actually think. A few days back in the real world.

 

So Arthur, in a typical Arthur move, freaks the fuck out. Because there is a reason he has the rule. It’s not because it sounds good or because it makes his employers happy. It’s cause it makes sense.

 

He knows workplace relationships and he knows how badly they fall apart when they do. And they always do. Why waste time trying to achieve the impossible when you’re only bound to get hurt?

 

So Arthur does what he does best, and avoids the hell out of Tuck. He distances himself as much as he possibly can and when he can’t physically distance himself, he mentally distances himself. It sort of works.

 

He even tries to start referring to Tuck as Eames again in his head. It doesn’t work. At all. So he convinces himself that as long as he’s avoiding Tuck, it doesn’t really matter what he calls him in his own head.

 

Right?

 

\---

 

Arthur has once again managed to confuse the hell out of Tuck. It’s like the man lives to just bewilder Tuck. Sure they went out, sure they had a lovely time, sure they had even kissed. Apparently, in Arthur’s world all those things call for extreme avoidance.

 

Tuck is not pleased. He’s honestly a little hurt too. FDR is right, when he meets someone he puts all of himself into it. He doesn’t play around and try to be mysterious. He puts all his cards on the table from the very beginning and gets invested. He does know how not to.

 

So it hurts a little when Arthur suddenly disappears off the face of the earth. If Arthur had stayed a pretty object in Tuck’s mind then it would’ve been okay. It would’ve been easy. But he didn’t. Tuck started to learn about Arthur. Started to actually know him.

 

Tuck doesn’t get it. The date had gone well. He knows Arthur agrees because Arthur had been the one to lean in and kiss him and Tuck had been the one who refused to pull away.

 

If everything had gone so well, then what’s Arthur problem?

 

\---

 

Avoiding Tuck comes to an abrupt halt when Collins calls Arthur into her office and says that she doesn’t care what the hell is going on with him, but if he doesn’t start working as a team with Tuck and FDR then she can ground him too.

 

So he ignores Tuck a little less and clearly the poor man is confused out of his mind. Even FDR is starting to look at him like he’s lost it.

 

When Tuck pulls him aside into an empty interrogation room, Arthur can’t say that he’s very surprised.

 

“What in the bloody hell is going on with you darling?” Tuck is _pissed_ and Arthur feels like the ultimate asshole, “You thought you’d just kiss me and the act as if I don’t exist? You could’ve at least warned me darling.”

 

The ‘darling’ is what finally unhinges Arthur. It’s just too much.

 

“What’s going on with me? What’s going on with you? You thought you could just come around and look gorgeous and say darling enough times and I’d just break all my rules for you?! It doesn’t work like that.”

 

Arthur takes a deep breath and tries to get it together. If there’s one thing in the world that Arthur usually is, it’s composed.

 

“I thought I’d… _what?_ What are you on about Arthur? Rules?”

 

“No workplace relationships.”

 

“Ever?”

 

“Of course ever. What would be the point in having a rule that had exceptions? That would defeat the-“ Tuck cuts his rant off short and invades his personal space.

 

“If you think that you can just…”

 

Tuck is so close to Arthur that when he speaks, Tuck’s lips bump Arthur’s earlobe, “Just give me try darling. Please.”

 

And it’s so genuine that Arthur’s fairly sure he’s been fighting a losing battle from beginning. When Tuck’s hands are on his ass and he’s propped up against the wall with his own hand down Tuck’s pants, Arthur can’t exactly remember why he was fighting this to begin with.


End file.
